


Learning About Strays

by Katsudonace



Series: A Collection of Strays [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trans Male Keith (Voltron), Trans Male Lance (Voltron), blind cat, three-legged cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 08:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsudonace/pseuds/Katsudonace
Summary: It's been two weeks since Keith and Lance started dating, and they've begun preparing to move in together. They decide to tackle one hurdle before they go any further in their relationship, sleeping in the same bed. However, there are still aspects of themselves that they haven't told their partner. What starts as a peaceful night turns into one of discovery as they learn more about the baggage each of them carry.





	Learning About Strays

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the [Safe Klance Writing Network's](https://safeklancewriters.tumblr.com/) monthly challenge. The theme was "learning".
> 
> Huge thanks to [angst-in-space](http://angst-in-space.tumblr.com/), [genericpaladin](https://genericpaladin.tumblr.com/), [galragirl](https://galragirl.tumblr.com/) and [pidgeholte](https://pidgeholte.tumblr.com/) for betaing!
> 
> You asked for it, and it's here. Sequel to my other Klance cat fic. Also, just wanted to make note, that while it doesn't say trans male Keith or Lance in my other fics, you should just assume they are in everything I write. I just don't tag it unless it's explicitly mentioned.

It was weird, Keith thought, to come home to someone. While he and Lance hadn’t officially moved in together yet, since they were still looking for an affordable apartment that would allow them to house three cats, Lance had made himself at home in Keith’s place. The experience of opening the door and being greeted by someone was baffling to Keith, with each time being more jarring than the last. He was surprised that Lance was still there each time he opened the door. It had become almost a ritual, psyching himself up for the day he would finally come home to an empty kitchen, a quiet house.

Every day, though, Lance was there. They’d been dating for two weeks when Keith finally asked Lance to stay the night. Lance had refused at first, which Keith had found odd, but with a small amount of persuasion, he had relented. Maybe it was selfish of Keith, but he knew that Lance being there in the morning it would calm his nerves. That was how they found themselves in Keith’s bedroom. Keith had asked if they could stay there since he’d never slept in the same bed as anyone before and he thought that being surrounded by his possessions would make himself feel more comfortable.

Despite this, Keith felt far from comfortable as he lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to Lance finish up in the bathroom. Keith’s heart was pounding against his chest. He felt like such a loser for having never spent the night with someone before now. There was Kuro, who wasn’t in a sleeping mood as she attacked and swatted at a loose string on the hem of Keith’s pants, but she was a cat, not his full-grown boyfriend. He wondered if Lance had expectations. Is that why he was taking so long? Did he think that they were-?

The sound of the bathroom door opening cut off Keith’s train of thought. He turned his head and yelped loudly in surprise, kicking out his legs and letting out a scream as Kuro latched onto his leg to subdue her wild prey. Lance frowned at him, hands on his hips. Green gunk was spread across Lance’s face and his hair was pushed back by a sleep mask. The look Lance wore was utter exasperation at Keith’s gawking.

“You act like you’ve never seen a beauty mask before,” Lance huffed. He grabbed the hem of his blue robe and swept it dramatically, which drew Keith’s eyes to the blue lion slippers that he was wearing. Upturning his nose, Lance continued to make his way to the bed, his movements animated as if he was acting out a scene from a play. “I work hard to look good for you, and this is how I’m thanked.”

Keith chuckled. “We all know that you do that for yourself.” Still, it seemed liked Lance was waiting for something as he continued to loom by the bed. Keith wrinkled his nose as he grabbed Kuro, setting her down on his chest. He ran his fingers through her fur as he thought about what Lance was waiting for him to say. “Oh,” he said, realizing it was something very simple. Scooting over, Keith patted the spot beside him. “Come and join me.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Lance said with a grin. He then hopped onto the bed without warning, bouncing slightly. At the movement, Kuro’s nails dug into Keith’s sweatshirt, but he was used to that by now. “So, you excited for our sleepover?” Lance asked as he grabbed his phone off the bedside table. “Just don’t tell any ghost stories. I have work tomorrow.”

“I’ll try to keep myself in check,” Keith promised. He turned his head so he could get a better look at Lance lying next to him. Lance didn’t seem to notice him staring as he was busy scrolling through his phone and typing out messages. It relieved Keith greatly to know that Lance didn’t seem to expect anything other than sleep tonight. “Who’re you texting?”

“Hunk.” Glancing over at Keith, he chuckled before leaning over to press a kiss to Keith’s forehead. Keith felt like a teenager with his first crush with the way red sprung to his cheeks at the tender way Lance touched him. “Just clearing up some misconceptions he has about a certain night. _He_ was the one who nearly got us expelled. I was an innocent bystander.”

“And why don’t I believe that?” As Keith spoke, Lance was already tossing his phone back and moving Kuro. Keith didn’t know what to expect until Lance’s fingers were at his sides, tickling him mercilessly. “Lance!” Keith shrieked between laughs. “Okay! You’re innocent! You have done nothing wrong your entire life!”

Lance stopped with a smirk then pressed a kiss into Keith’s lips, which was awkward since he could tell Lance was trying to avoid getting the green goop on him. “Very far off, babe, but I like where your head is at.” He pulled away, and Keith stared up in awe as Lance hovered above him. Keith had never thought that he’d become attached to someone the way he was attached to Lance, yet here they were. “Did you want to spoon or cuddle or did you want to stick to our ends of the bed for now?”

“Just stay on our ends for right now? I know I asked for us to sleep together, but I’m still getting used to this. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle that close of contact without feeling trapped.” Keith bit at his lip, searching Lance’s face for signs of disappointment. “If that’s okay. If you wanted to, we could-”

Lance put his thumb on Keith’s lips, cutting off his nervous backpedaling. “I want to make you comfortable, Mullet. If you don’t want to cuddle or spoon, then we won’t. Don’t ever feel obligated to take a step that you’re not ready for because of me.” He continued to let his thumb trace the edge of Keith’s lips. “You do what makes you feel most at ease, got it?”

All Keith was able to do was nod his head stiffly. Lance had no right being this perfect. He then parted Keith’s lips with his thumb, leaning forward seductively. Keith felt his heart begin to speed up as a mischievous glint appeared in Lance’s eyes. “Boop,” Lance said then pressed his lips against Keith’s nose suddenly before pulling back with a grin, seemingly enjoying how flustered he made Keith. “You look like you’re going to have a heart attack there, Keith. You should calm down.”

Keith clutched his head, taking a deep breath. “You’re a horrible human being,” he said dryly, but that only made the grin on Lance’s face widen. The way Lance smiled didn’t help the heat he felt on his cheeks, and he started feeling a bit jealous that Lance seemed to be better at intimacy than him. “Didn’t you say you had work in the morning?”

“Geez, can’t a guy have a little fun?” Despite his huffing, Lance was moving back to his side of the bed. He kicked off his slippers and a flash of black leapt up and darted after them. Kuro curled around the slipper, biting it furiously while kicking it with her back foot. It made Keith wonder how much more active she’d be once he finally saved up enough for her prosthetic. “Man, she’s going to kill my slipper.”

“Let her have her fun.” Keith yawned and rolled onto his side. He usually slept on his back, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to now because he felt self-conscious to be in full view of Lance. “I’m going to shut the light off now,” he said, reaching for the lamp on his side. “Night, uh...” Keith trailed off, trying to think of a pet name. “Night, hun.”

“The Texan in you is coming out. I like it,” Lance purred, and though Keith had his back to him, he could just imagine the wide smirk on his face. Keith turned out the light, pulling the blankets over him and feeling Lance grab his own end to snuggle into them, too. “Night, babe. Have a good sleep, okay?”

Keith hummed in response, closing his eyes. He could still hear Kuro whacking and growling at Lance’s slipper, but he knew she’d make her way up to the bed eventually. Beside him, he could hear Lance breathing softly, and Keith tried to imagine what he looked like with the mask on and the goop all over his face. He imagined that Lance looked cute in it. Keith was tempted to sneak a look, but his limbs were feeling heavy and he slowly began to drift into a deep sleep.

* * *

It seemed like no time has passed before there was violent movement and a gasp next to Keith. His mind was groggy as he tried to think of what had made the noise. He could feel a weight on his chest, which meant Kuro had claimed her usual spot and wasn’t lying beside him. It wasn’t until there was a soft groan that Keith’s groggy mind remembered that Lance was beside him. He opened his eyes, taking in the dark room, wondering if he should ask what was wrong.

Before he could, Lance was moving again, rocking the bed slightly. A soft glow lit up the room and the bed shifted more, followed by the sound of footsteps hurriedly walking across the bedroom. Keith tilted his head just in time to see Lance’s retreating through the door. He didn’t think much of it, maybe Lance needed to go to the bathroom. Closing his eyes, Keith was about to fall back asleep when he heard the apartment door open and slam shut. He opened his eyes, suddenly alarmed.

“Lance?” Keith called out, but there was no answer. “Lance!?” All that met him was silence. Panic began to rise in his chest, stealing his breath. His mind raced, thoughts popping into his head that Lance was leaving him, that he didn’t want this, that maybe that was why he had been fine with not cuddling. He began to edge out of bed, grabbing Kuro for comfort as he called out again. “Lance, are you there!?”

Keith walked numbly through his apartment, having flashback to when his mom left. He tried to reason with himself as he exited into the hallway, crossing the short distance between their apartments. “Lance?” Keith called out as he stood in front of the door, clinging to Kuro. He could feel her purring, and it was slightly comforting. “Lance, are you in there?”

Fear began to rise in him, and he tried to reason that Lance wouldn’t just leave without his cats, but that didn’t stop his heartbeat from quickening. He took a calming breath then reached out to try the doorknob. It wasn’t locked, and the door swung open eerily to reveal Lance’s empty apartment. He didn’t see Lance or his cats.

Keith’s eyes flickered across the apartment for any sign that Lance hadn’t left him. The apartment looked more lived in than Keith’s, with more mismatched furniture that was more worn than the sleek set that Keith had bought from the showroom. His eyes drifted to Lance’s kitchen, which was almost identical to Keith’s except that Lance’s was covered in colorful fridge magnets. Keith let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding as he saw Lance’s phone on the island counter plugged into its charger. Lance was here for certain.

Putting Kuro down, Keith went to find Lance. He felt safe leaving Kuro with the other cats in Lance’s apartment. They’d been trying to get Azul, a Russian Blue that was Lance’s oldest and first cat, and Scarlet, a blind orange tabby, used to Kuro so that there wouldn’t be any tension when the three of them finally moved in together in the future.

Keith could hear water running from somewhere down the hallway, so he made his way to the bathroom. He knocked, but when there was no answer, he let himself in. Lance was hunched over the sink, eyes wide and breathing heavy as the shower ran behind him. His face was soaking wet, the green goop rinsed thoroughly from his face. He was also undressed except for his boxers, and Keith noticed there was a deep scar on his right thigh and some surgical scars at his kneecap. Keith could also see two scars under his pecs, but they seemed older than the ones on his leg.

Lance looked up when Kuro ran in, rubbing against his leg. He glanced to the side, seeing Keith standing in the doorway. “What are you doing!?” Lance shouted at him. “Get out of here! Don’t look at me!” He was marching forward, and Keith backed up, startled, only to have the door slammed in his face.

“I’m sorry,” Keith said, and he meant it. He hadn’t meant to deprive Lance of the choice to come out as trans on his own terms. “I didn’t know. I just heard you get up suddenly and go back to your apartment. You don’t have to tell me what happened. Just- Well, just come out here for a moment. I have something that I want to show you, okay?”

There was a long pause, and the shower shut off and the door opened. Lance was fully dressed, looking grumpy. He had every right to be angry. Keith took Lance’s hand and lifted his own shirt so that he could put his hand on Keith’s chest to feel the matching transition scars. Lance’s eyes widened, and the tension he’d been holding left. “Oh,” was all Lance said.

“Yeah.” Keith lifted his other hand to rest at the back of Lance’s neck to play with his hair. “Not really a second week conversation for me. I’m guessing it’s the same for you?” Lance nodded, and Keith could see that he was choking back tears. “It’s like I said, you don’t have to talk about anything. Just know I’m here for you.”

The tears Lance had been holding back began to fall down his cheeks. Keith pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. Lance clung to him, burying his head into Keith’s neck. He was soaking Keith’s shirt, but that didn’t matter. Keith still felt guilty, though. He’d been expecting Lance to take care of him, but he hadn’t thought that Lance might need someone to take care of him, too.

“I’m going to make you something to eat,” Keith said, pulling back. He cupped Lance’s cheek, using his thumb to wipe the tears away. “Do you need anything else? Or want anything?” His eyes flickered, searching Lance’s for any change or discomfort. “Don’t be afraid to ask me for what you need.”

“I don’t know,” Lance admitted in a small voice. He looked lost, as if no one had ever asked him that before now. “I’ve just- I’ve always had to support everyone. My mom after my dad left. My siblings’ kids when they couldn’t get babysitters. Myself when we didn’t have enough money to send me to college. My-” He swallowed. “My unit in the military. I honestly don’t know what I need, Keith.”

It shocked Keith slightly to find out that Lance had been in the military. Lance didn’t seem the type, but now wasn’t the time to question him. “We’ll figure it out, then.” Keith reached out, grabbing Lance’s hand and lacing their fingers together. Lance let him without much fuss. Keith brought them to the kitchen and he pulled out the seat for Lance to sit down. It hurt to see Lance so raw and numb. Keith had no idea what to do, but making breakfast seemed like a start.

As Keith went into the kitchen, Azul breezed past him, making his way over to Lance to rub against his leg, purring loudly. Lance stiffly picked him up, burying his face into the cat’s fur while Azul nuzzled against him. Azul seemed to know what to do, so maybe this wasn’t the first time that Lance had broken down like this.

Keith swallowed any questions and continued to Lance’s kitchen, searching for something that he knew how to make, which wasn’t much. “I’ve always needed to be the pillar,” Keith heard Lance say. He glanced over his shoulder, but Lance wasn’t looking at him, staring off into space. “‘If it wasn’t for your smile, Lance, I think I’d break. You need to be strong. You’re the only thing holding me together.’” He inhaled sharply. “There wasn’t room for what I needed.”

“Well, there’s room now,” Keith assured him. He opened Lance’s fridge. It was better stocked than Keith’s, which was mostly filled with water bottles and the containers that Lance brought over for dinner. His eyes flickered over the contents before he saw some eggs and decided he’d make Lance eggs and toast. That seemed easy enough.

Grabbing the ingredients from the fridge, Keith made his way to the stove. A small panic overtook him as he looked at the stove, trying to figure out how to work it, but he pushed the anxiety down. Worrying about messing up could happen after he burned everything. Right now, he needed to make the food and get it in front of Lance.

As Keith searched for a frying pan, he heard the sound of a chair scraping tile. He found the frying pan and grabbed it before standing to face Lance in one fluid motion. “Sit,” Keith said, pointing the pan at Lance, who was in the process of getting up. “I’m making you breakfast. So you’re going to sit there and let me take care of you.”

“I was just going to make coffee for the two of us,” Lance said, but he was easing back into his chair. Scarlet had made her way to the table and was rubbing against Lance’s leg. The cats really loved him, and Keith couldn’t blame them. “I think you’re going a little overboard with this, don’t you? I can make coffee.”

“If you come in here, you’re going to start with the coffee, but then you’re going to grab the bread and put it in the toaster. And next thing I know, you’ll have the frying pan in your hand and be cooking _me_ breakfast. You’re physically incapable of letting someone take care of you.” Keith shook the frying pan at him. “And we’re breaking you out of that.”

“Fine. Fine.” Lance put up his hands up in resignation. He reached down, letting Scarlet find the palm of his hand, so she could begin rubbing her head against it. “All I ask is that you don’t burn down my kitchen. I want to get my deposit back on this place when we move. I’m already pushing it with the landlord and the cats.”

Keith snorted and rolled his eyes before he went back to cooking. He put the bread in the toaster and got the coffee started without too much difficulty. But now came the hard part. Eggs needed oil, right? Or was it butter? Or did he just put them in without anything? He looked over his shoulder to see Lance watching him smugly, waiting for Keith to ask for help. Returning the smug look, Keith picked up Lance’s phone charging on the island counter and looked up what he was supposed to do.

Lance huffed behind him. “That’s cheating.” Keith ignored Lance’s pouting as he followed the instructions on the phone. The edges of the eggs burned a little, but not as badly as he expected. He moved everything to a plate, finding that it didn’t look that bad. A proud smile spread over his face as he brought the plate and cup of coffee over.

Looking down at it, Lance snorted. Still, he began eating, which relieved Keith. He watched Lance eat, seeing his boyfriend’s mood visibly improve with each bite. It made him wonder if this was how Lance felt when he cooked for Keith. If it was, he kind of understood why Lance liked cooking. Maybe Keith would try to cook some more. They were going to be living together, possibly soon, so it might be nice to make dinner for once.

“Thanks,” Lance mumbled between bites. “Sorry for leaving in the middle of the night. I had a nightmare, and I just wanted a shower, but I thought if I ran the water, I’d wake you. Plus, none of my stuff is at your place.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Guess I ended up waking you up anyway. I was coming right back. I promise.”

“It’s fine.” Keith decided to leave out the panic attack he almost had when he thought that Lance had changed his mind about them. Lance already was feeling like shit, so there was no need to make him feel even worse. “How are you feeling, though? Any better than when you woke up? You seem to have calmed down at least.”

“I’m feeling a lot better, thanks.” Lance held his mug in his hands, sipping it slowly. “I want to- Well- We didn’t have enough money to send me to college. After my brother went to medical school and my sister became a lawyer. Then my other brother’s divorce, and my mom’s divorce. What was I going to say? That it wasn’t fair? So, I joined the military. Was pretty good. Don’t know if that’s something to brag about, though.”

Lance’s eyes flickered down to the mug. He fell silent. Keith considered saying something, but he remembered when Lance had comforted him, so instead he reached out, placing a hand over Lance’s for support. Lance sucked in breath then continued, “I trained as a sniper. It was pretty hard, but I managed to pass. Then I was deployed. I was in my perch when the world just exploded. It hadn’t hit me directly. The shrapnel did, though. It embedded itself in my right leg, blew out my kneecap. Came home for physical therapy. Went to veterinary school, came here. But sometimes, when I dream, it feels like I’m still stuck in the moment.”

“Sorry, man,” Keith said, not knowing what to say or how to say it. He wasn’t Lance. He wasn’t good with words. “That really sucks.” That made Keith cringe, but Lance was laughing. “Don’t laugh! I’m trying my best.” That only made Lance laugh harder. Keith tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” Lance reached out and pulled Keith closer so that he could kiss him. “You’re so cute when you’re trying to cheer me up.” He laced their fingers together. “I love you.” His eyes softened then widened as he realized what he said. “In like a- I mean, it’s too early to use that word.” Red began to blossom on his cheeks. “Just ignore what I said.”

Keith paused, lips thinning. “I love you, too, Lance.” He was surprised that he actually meant it and wasn’t just saying it back like when he used to in the foster homes. “It’s hard to imagine life without you. When I picture home, I picture you, you and Kuro. I feel excited to get off work so that I can come back to you. I’m looking forward to moving in with you. You’re just as important to me as Shiro is.”

There was a long pause, and Keith wasn’t certain what was going through Lance’s mind. Keith felt something nuzzle against his legs, and he smiled when he saw Scarlet rubbing against him. Lance complained that she liked Keith more than him sometimes. He picked her up, and she let him, enjoying being lifted and cradled in his arms as she curled into his chest.

“Stay here. Just give me a minute.” Lance got to his feet, and Keith watched him get up, heading towards his bedroom. Keith was tempted to follow, but he did as Lance asked, continuing to pet Scarlet. He listened to Lance dig through the drawers in his bedroom. It was another couple of minutes before Lance was coming back to him, silver dog tags dangling from his hands.

Lance didn’t say anything as he stood in front of Keith and slipped the dog tags over Keith’s head, letting them fall against Keith’s chest right above Scarlet’s head. “Lance.” Keith looked down at the tags, bringing his hand up so he could run his fingers over the engravings. They were a little morbid, if Keith thought about it, since they probably checked these when they found Lance wounded. “I can’t take these. They’re yours.”

“I’m not going to need them. I can’t do another tour with my leg the way it is. Plus, I’ve got an artificial knee.” Lance reached down, scratching behind Scarlet’s ears, making her purr as she cuddled deeper into Keith. “You don’t have to keep them. I’m not going to force you to, but I just want you to always have something to remember that you’re really important to me, too.”

Keith blushed and kept his eyes locked on the dog tags around his neck. “What’s that mean?” He bit his lip. “I know what it means. But, what does it _mean_? For us.” His fingers ran over the cold metal. “I know we agreed that we would be moving in together. I guess I just didn’t connect that with us actually being something.”

“It can mean anything you want it to mean.” There was a slight panic in Lance’s voice, and Keith glanced up to see stress lines underneath his eyes. Lance rubbed the back of his neck as their eyes met, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. “We don’t have to put labels on anything. We can move in together, no strings attached still.”

“Then I want it to mean you’re my boyfriend.” Keith got to his feet, cradling Scarlet in his arms as he stood. He moved his hand up to scratch behind her ears, fingers brushing where Lance’s fingers still were. Blush was spreading through Lance’s cheeks, and his jaw had gone a little slack. “If you’ll have me, that is.”

“I- Uh, yeah. Of course I’ll have you. Why wouldn’t I?” Lance raised his hand from Scarlet to cup Keith’s cheek. “You’re amazing, Keith.” He pressed a kiss into Keith’s lips, though it was quick since the furball between them made it hard for them to get too close. “And a cat lover, which is a huge bonus.”

Chuckling, Keith teased, “Only because you turned me into one.” He glanced around, looking for Kuro now since he hadn’t seen her in a while. He spotted her in the corner of the apartment with Azul, who was lazing in his basket. Azul ignored Kuro, though his tail flicked in annoyance as she kept bopping the older cat with her paw. “I look at cat videos on my phone when I’m on break now. You did this to me.”

“It’s all a part of my master plan to turn you into the perfect boyfriend.” Lance purred, trailing his fingers down Keith’s cheek to rest under his chin. “Cat videos, making me breakfast, moving in with me. Everything is all going according to plan. All that’s left is to get you to clean my apartment and massage my feet. Then the transformation is complete.”

“Oh, no, I’m in your evil clutches. How dare you.” Keith pressed a kiss into Scarlet’s head before setting her down and moving closer to Lance. He placed his hand at the back of Lance’s neck, playing with his hair. “We should get back to bed, though. You’ve got work tomorrow. Would you feel better sleeping in your bed?”

Lance began to nod his head then shook it. “I think I’d be fine sleeping in your bed. I know that you said you feel better sleeping around your things.” His eyes flickered to Kuro, who was now swatting at Azul’s tail. “And if the landlord finds out that Kuro is here then we could be looking for an apartment sooner than we think.”

“Lance.” Keith sucked in a breath then rested his forehead against Lance’s. “I almost had a panic attack when I realized you weren’t there. If you have to get up and return to your apartment again, I might have another one. If you’re more comfortable here and won’t get up if you’re here, then I’d rather take the chance and stay here.”

“Okay.” Lance ran his hand through Keith’s hair. “I’m sorry that I scared you and made you panic. I’m not going to leave you, ever. I know saying that doesn’t help much because I know how you feel.” His fingers continued to card through Keith’s hair, and Keith hummed, enjoying the sensation. “But I promise, I’m not going anywhere.”

Keith closed his eyes and yawned. “With you doing that, I feel like I’m going to fall asleep right here.” He leaned forward, resting against Lance while wrapping his arms around him. The heat Lance’s body was generating relaxed him even more. “Don’t move. I’m going to sleep here and never wake up.”

Lance laughed, sending vibrations through Keith. “Sure. I’ll just stand here and let you use me as a bed.” Pulling away, he slung his arm around Keith’s shoulder to begin dragging him to the bedroom. As he did, Azul got up and began following them while Kuro hopped along after him. Scarlet brought up the rear, carefully making her way towards them.

Like the rest of Lance’s apartment, there were photo frames all over his bedroom of him, his friends, and his family. There were so many people in Lance’s life, and if they were going to be dating officially outside of their dinner meet-ups in Keith’s apartment then he would have to meet all of them. He wondered if they’d like him, or if they’d be as accepting as Lance was of his former criminal connections.

“You think too much,” Lance told him, pulling Keith’s head towards him so he could press a kiss into the side of it. Keith glanced over at him. There was slight concern in Lance’s eyes, but he supposed that was to be expected with the way Keith had been possibly glaring at his family photos. “Come on, babe. Let’s get to bed. We’re keeping the kids up too late.”

“Sorry,” Keith said with a small smile. “Next time I’ll be more considerate and make sure they get to bed on time.” He snorted. “I’m such a bad parent.” That made Lance chuckle, which earned Keith a kiss into the side of his head. “Hey, don’t reward me for being a bad parent. What if we actually have kids?”

Red took over Lance’s face, and it took Keith a moment to realize what he said. “You-?” Lance began, but he cut himself as his eyes widened. He looked shocked, mouth hanging open slightly, reminding Keith of the time when he first told Lance he’d adopt Kuro. His voice was almost hushed as he continued in awe, “You really want to have kids with me?”

“In the future, maybe,” Keith admitted. He then kissed Lance lightly. “I don’t want to do it now, but I’m not against the idea.” He took Lance’s hands into his, and he could feel them shaking in his grip. Keith hadn’t realized kids were that important to Lance. “You’re acting like you thought we’d never have any.”

Lance ducked his head, resting his forehead against Keith’s. “I guess I thought I never would. I- Well, I really love kids. But, I guess...” He trailed off, eyes flickering to the side. “I guess I thought I’d have to accept that I wasn’t going to have any. Because- Well, you know, I’m annoying. I’ve never told anyone what I’ve told you. No one’s ever _wanted_ to get this close before.” Glancing back at Keith, Lance sniffled. “I really love you, you know?”

“You’re not annoying, and I love you, too.” Keith kissed Lance again before pulling apart, feeling more relaxed. He didn’t know what changed, but he felt a lot more confident being with Lance now. He reached out, running a hand through Lance’s hair, smiling as Lance leaned into the touch. “We’ll talk about it more when we’re ready. Right now, let’s just get some rest.”

Lance nodded his head sleepily. He yawned loudly and began to make his way towards the bed with Keith following. Keith watched Lance for a moment as he swayed a bit before just crumpling backwards into the bed, legs still hanging over the side. It made Keith wonder if the prosthetic Lance had in his knee was hurting him. He walked over, helping Lance get his legs on the bed before tucking him in.

That earned him an appreciative smile from Lance, and Keith kissed him softly before climbing into the other side of the bed. As he settled in, Keith rolled over and pulled Lance closer so that he could spoon against him and cradle him in his arms. He heard a small gasp from Lance before he melted into Keith. “The same goes for you, you know, about what you were saying before,” Keith said. “If you weren’t ready to sleep in bed with me, then you shouldn’t have forced yourself.”

“Okay, okay,” Lance grumbled. His eyes were already closed. “I guess I just want to make you happy.” He placed his hand over Keith’s where he was holding him, letting his thumb stroke the soft flesh on the back of Keith’s hand. “I’ve never been this close to anyone before. You’re my... you’re the first person...”

Lance’s sentence was cut off with a soft snore and his breathing evened out as he fell into an exhausted slumber. Keith moved some strands of hair away from Lance’s face, tucking them behind Lance’s ear. “You already make me happy, Lance.” He kissed into the side of Lance’s neck and heard a happy hum come from his sleeping boyfriend.

Keith closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep, too. As he did, he felt the bed shift. Once and then twice, before he heard claws digging into the comforter. Three fuzzy lumps pressed themselves against both him and Lance, climbing over them so that they could get more comfortable. He honestly didn’t think he’d ever have one, but with Lance and the cats, Keith felt as if he finally had the family he always longed for. He was finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on my writing journal at [KatsudonAce](https://katsudonace.tumblr.com/) or on my main at [Keithphantom](http://keithphantom.tumblr.com/).


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